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 Pulteney Bridge by sue_stone
It is lined with shops on both sides, reminiscent of the Ponte Vecchio in Florence.
My favourite shop was a small cafe where you can sit at the window looking directly out over the river. Leave a Comment
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Pulteney Bridge is one of the most beautiful buildings in Bath. It croses river Avon and it is one of only four bridges lined with shops in the world.
The view of the bridge at night is magical. Leave a Comment
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Pulteney Bridge is one of only four bridges lined with shops in the world. It was designed by Robert Adam in the 1770s to link already fashionable Bath with a planned new suburb to the east, Bathwick. Inspired by the Ponte Vecchio of Florence and Venice’s Ponte di Rialto, Adam planned a Palladian style bridge lined with small shops. Despite concerns that this would prove a bottleneck to traffic (other cities such as London and Bristol had only recently torn down any buildings still remaining on their bridges), the design was accepted by the landowner, William Pulteneny, and the bridge built.
The true elegance of Adam’s design was short-lived however, as shop owners added extensions, altered windows and raised the roofs. Then in 1800 a storm and resulting flood damaged the north side so badly that it had to be rebuilt. More alterations followed throughout the 19th century, but in the 20th concerns began to be raised about the loss of Adam’s masterpiece and the bridge was scheduled as a national monument in 1936. The City Council bought out all the shops, and despite interruptions caused by the Second World War, the bridge was restored in time for the Festival of Britain in 1951.
Today the bridge is a charming destination, both for the quaint shops that line its interior, and for the pretty riverside views of its exterior. This shot from the south, incorporating the weir, is one of the classic shots of Bath. While taking it on this occasion I spotted a few café tables on the far side of the bridge and walked across to check them out. I discovered a stone stairway leading through an arch and down to a pathway along the river’s bank, and just where the passage emerged was the small Riverside Café. I bought an espresso and sat for a short while in this sheltered spot to enjoy the river views it afforded (see photo 3). The café also has home-made cakes and hot lunch dishes, which I didn't sample (but everything looked home-made and tasty), and is licensed. Directions: A little east of the centre – a few minutes’ walk along Upper Borough Walls and its continuation, Bridge Street, will take you there.
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As we strolled into Bath from the train station, we headed along Manvers Street north, once you start to see the Abbey, you should start to see one of the prettiest views in Bath, that of the Pulteney Bridge spanning the River Avon. It was built in 1773 and said to be modeled after the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy, one of only a few bridges to have shops lining the bridge. It's much prettier from the outside, when you cross it, the bridge looks like an ordinary street with shops.
The bridge was designed by Robert Adams and built for William Pulteney to connect his land holdings on the other bank of the Avon to central Bath. The Visitbath website says the best view is from the Parade Gardens park by the crescent weir, we were up at street level.
Bath sits on the River Avon, "avon" means river, it seems kind of silly to have a "River River". And this Avon is a different "River River" than the one in Stratford-upon-Avon, you think they could have given it a unique name. Leave a Comment
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 Ribbon of Avon and Romanesque
arches by pedersdottir
Crossing the bridge from town and heading east, the visitor soons comes to another circle of Georgian townhouses at Laura Place. The Austen family spent some time househunting here in early 1801. Leave a Comment
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The river Avon runs under Pulteney Bridge. This bridge is unique in the fact that it is one of the only bridges that houses shops on it (Florence is another example). The Pulteney Wier can be seen clearly when you cross the bridge & looks very beautiful but also quite vicious. It was built in 1975 to reduce the risk of flooding to central Bath. The Wier looks like 3 steps with water cascading over them at a fast rate causing a strong under current which has trapped even the strongest swimmer.
So warning - Don't try to swim here!! Leave a Comment Address: Pulteney Bridge / Wier
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 Pulteney Bridge Bath by suvanki
The bridge is named after Frances Pulteney, who was the heiress of the Bathwick estate (A rural village, which lay across the river from the city of Bath). Her husband Sir William J Pulteney had plans to create a new town, which could link to Bath by a bridge (rather than by the present ferry crossing)
Its design was inspired by Florences' Ponte Vecchio and/or Venices Rialto Bridge (Adam had visited Italy previously and had seen these 2 bridges- his design being quite close to that of Andrea Palladios plan for the Rialto bridge (which was declined)-see my Venice Rialto Bridge tip for more info!)
Adams bridge survived for 20 years, before it was enlarged, then floods in 1799 and 1800 caused damage to the north side of the bridge.
John Pinch (Snr) rebuilt the bridge in a modified design.
The bridge has had further restoration work in 1951 and 1975.
This is one of 4 bridges in the world with shops across the full span!
Apparently local stories state that the bridge was designed with an old woman in mind - she had washed her face, but forgotten to wipe her ar*e!! - a reference to the bridges pristine front, but shabby behind!!!! Leave a Comment Address: Pulteney Bridge, Bath
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Pultney Bridge is one of only four bridges in the world that have been lined by shops on both sides. Shops located on the bridge include a flower shop, an antique map shop, and a juice bar.
It is named after Frances Pulteney, heiress of the Bathwick estate across the River Avon. At the time, Bathwick was a simple village in a rural setting, but Frances's husband William could see its potential. He made plans to create a new town, which would become a suburb to Bath. Before that he needed a better river crossing than the existing ferry. Hence the bridge.
Pulteney approached architect Robert Adam who designed the bridge. In his hands the simple construction envisaged by Pulteney became an elegant structure lined with shops. Adam had visited both Florence and Venice, where he would have seen the Ponte Vecchio and the Ponte di Rialto. The bridge was completed in 1773. During its existence the bridge has suffered so many changes that Adam would only recognise the south river front.
The bridge stood for less than 20 years in its original form. In 1792, alterations to enlarge the shops marred the elegance of the façades. Floods in 1799 and 1800 wrecked the north side of the bridge, which had been constructed with inadequate support. It was rebuilt in a less ambitious version of Adam's design.
19th-century shopkeepers altered windows, or cantilevered out over the river as the fancy took them. The western end pavilion on the south side was demolished in 1903 for road widening and its replacement was not an exact match.
The bridge was restorated again in the 50s and 70s, but it could not be returned to its original form. If you step on the so called 'backside' of the bridge, you'll see that it is not very pretty at all.
Nevertheless, it is now one of the best-known buildings in a city famed for its Georgian architecture. It's a shame though that the bridge is not lighted by night.
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 by AcornManLeave a Comment
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Pulteney Bridge, is one of the the few bridges in the world to host shops (and surprisingly large shops they are too). Most people make this the object of at least one of their photos to remember Bath by.
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